"Kathleen Turner returns to Arena Stage... as the tough-as-nails matriarch Mother Courage — a single mother determined to keep her family alive and her business afloat during war," press notes state. "The show fuses politics and satire to paint an unforgettable and provocative portrait of war, incorporating more than 10 pieces of original music composed in a rollicking, gypsy-punk style and performed by cast members doubling as musicians."

"To stage Mother Courage and Her Children with Kathleen Turner and this host of artists is a galvanizing experience," Smith said in a previous statement. "People who believe that they've seen Mother Courage before should forget everything that they've ever known about this show. We've assembled a dream team cast who, together with James Sugg's brilliant music, David Leong's imaginative movement work and Todd Rosenthal's rough and expansive use of the Fichandler, will make this an epic production. We are creating something that will be absolutely vital and exhilarating and terrifying."